How do I Get Rid of This?

How do I Get Rid of This?
Sarah M. Agena, MS, RD – Corporate Wellness Manager/Dietitian for Adventure 212 Fitness

Many people ask me “how do I get rid of this”, while pointing at what I would call a Wisconsin Beer Belly. I’m sorry to say there is no magic food or pill that will automatically give us six pack abs. Cardiovascular exercise is a key factor to losing weight in the belly area, but I’ll leave that for one of our exercise professionals to talk about. What I want to do is stress the importance of portion control to decrease the size around the middle. We’ve heard it all before…calories in should equal calories out but how often do we actually pay attention to that rule? If you eat more calories than you expend that’s where the weight gain comes into play. Many people don’t want to count calories and I don’t blame them, so portion control is the next best step. By cutting your portions by just ¼ you can save yourself hundreds of calories per day which could lead to a loss of ½ – 2 pounds per week. For example, if a person drank one less 20 oz. Mt. Dew per day they could lose ½ pound a week. Follow these simple portion control tips to slowly decrease that Wisconsin Beer Belly:

• Incorporate at least one fruit and/or vegetable into every meal.
• Use whole grains instead of refined (white) bread, rice, cereal or pasta (look for the word “whole” on ingredient lists).
• Cut back on sweetened drinks and soda. A 12 oz. can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (empty calories that do not satisfy hunger).
• Avoid saturated or trans fats and replace with plant based oils – olive, canola and peanut.
• Consume low fat dairy products.
• Use a smaller plate and smaller utensils.
• Be aware of the portion size on packaged products such as energy drinks and crackers. Many times they will have more than 1 serving in them (check out a 20 oz soda bottle!).
• Don’t go back for seconds.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.